Thanks to its adhesive and waterproofing properties, bitumen is commonly used in the road laying and roofing industries. This article will cover what bitumen is and its differences from other oil products, how it is extracted and its most common uses in the construction industry.
HOW IT IS REFINED AND EXTRACTED
Bitumen can be found naturally in a few oil sand deposits globally. The most common method of extracting this bitumen is Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). Steam is injected into a well at high temperatures persistently until the bitumen becomes more fluid and flows to the bottom of the well. The bitumen is then pumped to the surface for extraction. Natural bitumen is often polluted with sulphur, heavy metals, and other impurities, making the process relatively expensive compared to the alternative method.
Refined bitumen is more commonly used in the industrial sectors due to its reduced costs. Crude oil is heated to separate the light and heavy molecules, with bitumen being the heaviest by-product of the process. The quality of the crude oil and the refinery process used impact the properties of the final bitumen product. Variations can be in the penetration value, the softening point, or the viscosity level of the bitumen, resulting in different uses for the product.
GRADING OF BITUMEN
Grading of bitumen is a process in which the viscosity of the crude oil is measured. There are three different methods for grading bitumen: penetration, viscosity testing, and recent performance grades.
The penetration test measures how much force it takes to penetrate through a bitumen sample with a needle or other instrument.
Viscosity testing measures how quickly a fluid flows through a tube compared to other fluids at different temperatures and pressures.
The newest method of grading bitumen is known as the Performance Grading System. In this method, bitumen’s performance is tested while in use in its specific operating environment e.g. climate etc. to determine whether it is fit for purpose.
WHAT ARE THE USES OF BITUMEN?
The grade of the bitumen as well as the quality of the original crude oil influence the uses of the final bitumen product. Bitumen is most commonly used as a binder in the road construction industry, combined with aggregates to form the upper wearing surface. Bitumen’s waterproofing properties also make it a common solution in both roofing and paint applications.
The complexity of bitumen in its natural state makes it a difficult product for transportation and storage. However, TEC’s Bitutainer™ range has been specially designed to maintain bitumen in its optimum state and ensure it is ready for use as and when needed.
